318 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
plaint to make. He is much fallen in efteem from what 
he was formerly, chiefly from his own little intrigues, his 
ignorance, avarice, and want of firmnefs. His greateft em- 
ployment is in ordinations. A number of men and chil- 
dren prefent themfelves at a diftance, and there ftand, from 
humility, not daring to approach him. He then afks who 
thefe are? and they tell him that they want to be deacons. 
On this, with a fmall iron crofs in his hand, after making 
two or three figns, he blows with his mouth twice or thrice 
upon them, faying, “ Let them be deacons.” I faw once all the 
army of Begemder made deacons, juftreturned from fhedding 
the blood of 10,oco0 men, thus drawn up in Aylo Meidan, and 
the Abuna ftanding at the church of St Raphael, about a 
quarter of a mile diftant from them. With thefe were min- 
gled about 1000 women, who confequently, having part of 
the fame blaft and brandifhment of the crofs, were as good 
deacons as the reft. 
Tue fame with regard to monks. A crowd of people, 
when he is riding, will affemble within 500 yards of him, 
and there begin a melancholy fong. He afks who thefe 
men with beards are? they tell him they want to be ordain- 
ed monks. After the fame figns of the crofs, and three 
blafts with his mouth, he orders them to be monks. But 
in ordaining priefts, they muft be able to read a chapter of | 
St Mark, which they do in a language he does not under- 
ftand a word of. They then give the Abuna a brick of falt, 
to the value of perhaps fixpence, for their ordination ; 
which, from this prefent given, the Jefuits maintained to be 
Simoniacal. 
THE 
